354 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



The nostrils extend to the end of the muzzle, and open on 

 its middle and sides. The ears are pointed, with a tubercle 

 on the external edge. The tongue is extremely soft, and 

 there are mustachios on the upper lip, above the eyes, and 

 on the sides of the cheeks. The feet have four complete 

 toes, but the anterior have the rudiment of a fifth toe on 

 the internal side, and on the same feet there is a horny 

 production behind the articulation of the wrist. The claws 

 are short and thick. Six incisors and two canines are in 

 each jaw. But it is unnecessary, in this place, to dwell 

 longer on such characteristics. The coat is well furnished 

 with hair, especially the tail, which resembles that of 

 Foxes. In short, the Chacals, as to habit of body, move- 

 ments, use of the senses, intelligence, instinct of concealing 

 their food, fyc, exactly resemble the Dogs. 



The general colour of this animal is dirty fawn-colour 

 above, and whitish underneath. The tail is a mixture of 

 fawn-coloured and black hairs. 



The Chacal of Senegal appears to belong to a species es- 

 sentially distinct from that of the Chacal properly so called, 

 that is, from the animal found in the central regions of 

 Asia, and, perhaps, through the entire extent of Africa; 

 which lives in troops, and feeds on carcasses. 



The denomination of the Chacal of Senegal may be, in 

 some degree, improper, as the true Chacal is also found in 

 this country, but still there is no great inconvenience at- 

 tending the use of it. We insert the figures of both. 



This branch of the family of the Dogs of the old conti- 

 nent is liable to some obscurity, from the general uni- 

 formity of its organization. It seems to consist of the 

 Common Chacal, the present species, the Adive, the Corsac, 

 and Mesomelas. We may presume that the Europeans 

 who inhabit Senegal, do not distinguish the common spe- 

 cies from the other Chacals, and it may be as well, for the 

 purpose of marking its differences, that we should begin by 

 a rigorous determination of the characters of this species, 



